Japan approves the abortion pill

The abortion pill will become available in Japan, after authorization by the Ministry of Health, Friday, April 28. Termination of pregnancy has been legal in the country since 1948, up to 22 weeks, but the surgical procedure was until now the only option. In addition, abortion usually requires the consent of the spouse or partner.

It is the pill from the British laboratory Linepharma which has been approved. The laboratory had filed in December 2021 an application for marketing authorization in Japan. This treatment combines two drugs: mifepristone (or RU 486) which stops the development of pregnancy by acting on a hormone called progesterone and misoprostol, taken between one and two days later, which triggers contractions and bleeding. This method is authorized in many countries including the United States since 2000 and France since 1988.

Its approval in Japan to terminate a pregnancy up to nine weeks follows the advice of a ministerial committee after lengthy discussions. According to public television NHK, the total cost of the abortion pill and a medical consultation will amount to around 100,000 yen (669 euros). Termination of pregnancy is not reimbursed by health insurance.